Portable Air Quality Sensor with GPS

1

Has anyone made a portable version with GPS of the luftdaten sensor?

I am interested in measuring air pollution travelling around cities in rush hour and quiet times to look at the difference in air quality. The route and associated data should be visible on a map.

Any information on achieving this welcome.

2

You can connect GPS via UART. Support for that is already in firmware.

Although SDS011 there are two main problems with mobile setup.

  1. SDS011 is a very delicate device and you should avoid vibrations
  2. SDS011 isn’t suitable to measure dust beieng exposed to external airflow (for example while car is moving). Difference in pressure may render measurement very inaccurate.
3

Thank you for your answers Irukard.

There have been trials documented using SDS011 but with User walking NOT using a car. They also commented on benefits of using a heated chamber and accuracy. Unit and battery were located in a backpack. Trials conducted in Newcastle upon Tyne UK.

4

Here a code: Ein Feinstaubsensor mit GPS Logger – Pierre-Jean Guéno
And the map: Dynamische Feinstaub Map – Pierre-Jean Guéno
It has to be updated tough (the SDS011 works exactly the same as the SDS021).

You can also check what Communautique does in Canada: GitHub - echofab-communautique/projet-canari: captation citoyenne de données sur la qualité de l’air (contact them for the english version). You can replace the bad PM Sensor they use with a SDS.

Some people think of doing a mobile SC Firmware but it would need to modify the databank completely. If you are motivated, you can clone everything from Github and build your own DB.

Feel free to contact me.

1 Like
5

Thank you for the information - appreciated!

6

I don’t was finished yet the integration with Sensor Community API of CanAirIO firmware, but using this firmware is another possibility, because without any extra hardware (GPS) you can make air quality mobile tracks, each air quality data point is tagged with the Android GPS via Bluetooth with the CanAirIO Android app. For now the firmware save the mobile data into the phone or it can exported to the CanAirIO community, but the idea is make the implementation with Sensor Community API.

7

Your mobile solution is interesting. Any idea when you have your firmware integrated with Sensor Community?

Keep up the good work.

8

The integrations of mobile sensors in the SC firmware is not the main problem. The database has to be completely modified to integrate live GPS data. Is it really worth it ? Most of the sensors are not made to move (how do you choose the position for the air intake…). The values would not be consistent enough.